Automatic braking means for hoisting devices



Dec. 12, 1939. J, 'FLODIN 2,182,800

AU'IQMATIC BRA KING MEANS FOR HOiSTING DEVICES Filed March 16, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JOHN FLODIN ATTORNEY Dec. 12, 1939. J, FLQDIN 2,182,800

AUTOMATIC BRAKING MEANS FOR HOISTING DEVICES Filed Mai-ch 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 24/ F1. 7' if V Fi 5 TOR 9 JOHN FLoom 8 z, F'iq. 4 W

ATTORNEY I Patented Dec. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC BRAKING MEANS FOR HOISTING DEVICES John Flodin, Washington, D. C.

Application March 16, 1939, Serial No. 262,203

6 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

- amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) Thisinvention relates to means to be embodied in windlasses, capstans and similar pulling and hoisting equipment to render them non-self-reversible and non-overhauling up to the breaking strength of the rope used thereon.

It is an object of this invention to provide such means in a form that will not introduce torsional loads on the Windlass or capstan shaft.

It'is a further object of the invention to provide braking means that are light in weight, automatic and positive in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects will become apparent from a consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a capstan embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1 with aiportionbroken away;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a capstan embodying a second form of the invention; and,

Figs. 4, 5 and. 6 are views of fragments of'the device as shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1' the capstan barrel I may be a welded construction or casting having an internal framework 2 keyed at 3 to the power shaft 4. The barrel has a reinforcing ring 5 attached to'its interior near its lower edge anda sealing. ring 5 attached to the reinforcing ring; Both thereinforcingand the sealing rings are providedwith a series of spaced holes I.

The capstan'base member 8 carries a bushed boss 9- in which the shaft 4 turns and on which the barrel rests. The base member also has formed in its upper surface an annular track II! on whichare supported rollers ll. Ring I2 is supported on rollers ll and is provided with a series of spaced upwardly extending projections l3 extending through holes 1 and thus locking ring l2 to the barrel-of the capstan for rotary movement. Each of the rollers is kept in alignment bymeans-of, rings I 4 and I5 attached to its ends. formed in the lower face of ring l2. An annular cover I? overlies most of the horizontal part of ring I2 and is secured by bolts I8 passing therethrough and through base member 8 to the foundation 19 of the capstan, in this case the deck of a ship. .The under side of cover I! is provided with a brake lining 20. The recesses Hi all have their longest sides inclined in the same manner as shown in Fig. 1, with the result that only one The rollers are housed in recesses l6 end of each recess provides enough space to allow free rotation of the roller contained therein.

The sealing ring 6 carries a seal 2| and cover I! carries sealing means 22 and 23 which prevent the ingress of water into the interior of the device and allow the use of oil on the rollers and roller path without danger ofoiling the brake lining.

In the operation of the device, rotation of the barrel in a counterclockwise direction looking. from above will be unopposed. However, should the pull on the line become heavy enough to tend to reverse the motion of the barrel, the rollers will force the ring l2 up until it contacts the brake lining and motion of the barrel in this direction will be stopped.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 to 6, the capstan isof the reversible type and is provided with means for selectively preventing barrel movement in either of the two possible directions of rotation. In this modification, the recesses l6for'the rollers H are tapered in both directions from'the centeras shown in Fig.3. The outer ring I5 is provided with aniupwardly extending H toothed portion 24 having the form of a crown '5" gear. Extending radially through the cover I! is a shaft 25 carrying on its inner end a gear segment 26 which in its downward position will mesh With the teeth on ring IS. The teeth of both the gear segment and the ring are preferably of the oblique type. The outerend of'shaft 25 has fixed thereto ahandle 21. When this handle is' moved from one horizontal position to the other, ring I5 is causedto moverotationally, carrying with'it the'rollers I l to such a position relative to the recesses l6 that the capstan is freeto move in the direction in which the handle points.

Ring 14 carries projections 28 which are en'- gaged by the spring-operated latches 29; fastened to ring l2 preventing the'rollers Ilfrom moving into the wrong ends of the recesses unless moved by the meshing of gear segment 26 with the crown gear24-on ring'l5.

In. horizontal installations of either embodiment the ring I2 would be held against the rollers II by springs rather than gravity.

The invention herein described and claimed may be used and/or manufactured by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. In a hoisting device having a rotatable barrel, means preventing overhauling ofsaid device when the load becomes greater than the available power, said means comprising a ring-shaped element movable with said barrel, a fixed portion of said device having an annular slot formed therein and housing said element, one of the sides of said slot forming a trackway, the face of said element adjacent said trackway being formed with tapered recesses, a roller housed in each of said recesses and in rolling contact with said trackway, the opposite face of said annular slot being formed with a braking surface, said tapered recesses being so formed and proportioned that upon rotation of said barrel in one direction, said rollers will roll freely, while upon rotation of said barrel in the opposite direction said rollers will Wedge said element against said braking surface.

2. In a hoisting device having a rotatable barrel and. a fixed base, means to selectively render said device non-overhauling in one of the two directions of rotation of said barrel, said' means comprising an annular element rotatable with said barrel, said base being formed with an annular slot housing a portion of said element, one of the opposing faces of said slot being formed into a trackway, the other having a braking surface formed thereon, a series of recesses formed in the surface of said element adjacent said trackway, each of said recesses having its greatest depth at its center and progressively becoming shallower toward its ends, a roller housed in each of said recesses and in contact with said trackway, a first ring-like member connecting the inner ends of said rollers, a second ring-like member connecting the outer ends of said rollers, and means operable at will to selectively confine each of said'rollers to substantially one half of its respective recess, whereby movement of said barrel in one direction will cause each of said rollers to rotate freely near the center of its recess while movement in the opposite direction will cause it to roll toward the end of its recess, thereby wedging said element against said braking surface.

3. Means to selectively render a hoisting device non-overhauling in one of two directions as claimed in claim 2, said means being characterized by an abutment formed on said first ring-like member, a spring-pressed latch attached to said element, said latch and abutment being so positioned that they will be in abutting relation when each of said rollers lies in the central part of its recess and access to substantially half the length of its recess will be denied to each of said rollers, and means for shifting said abutment from one side of said latch to the other. at the will of an operator.

4. Means to selectively render a hoisting device non-overhauling in one of two directions as claimed in claim 2, said means being characterized by an abutment formed on said first ringlike member, a spring-pressed latch attached to said element, said latch and abutment being so positioned that they will lie in abutting relation when each ofsaid rollers lies in the central part of its recess and access to substantially half the length of its recess will be denied to each of said rollers, a crown gear formed on said second ring-like member and means meshing with said crown gear for shifting the position of said second ring-like member and so shifting said abutment from one side of said latch to the other, at the will of an operator.

5. Means for preventing relative movement between two elements in a selected one of two opposite directionsv comprising a member movable with the first of said elements but capable of independent movement in a direction normal to the direction of movement of said first element,

said member being housed in a slot formed in the second of said elements, said slot having two parallel surfaces one of which has formed thereon a braking surface, a series of spaced rollers confined between the other of said surfaces and said element, a first ring-like member connecting the inner ends of said rollers, a second ringlike member connecting the outer ends of said rollers, a plurality of recesses formed in the surface of said element adjacent said rollers, each of said recesses housing one of said rollers, each of said recesses having a depth which is shallow at its ends and increases to a maximum at its center, an abutment formed on the first of said ring-like members, an abutment formed on an adjacent part of said element, said abutments being so located as to lie in abutting relationship when each of said rollers lies in a position substantially in the center of its respective recess and thus to deny each roller access to substantially one half its recess, and means operable at the will of an operator to cause one of said abutments to yield and pass to the opposite side of the other abutment.

6. Means for preventing relative movement between two elements in a selected one of two opposite directions comprising a member movable with the first of said elements but capable of independent movement in a direction normal to the direction of movement of said first element, said member being housed in a slot formed in the second of said elements, said slot having two parallel surfaces one of which has formed thereon a braking surface, a series of spaced rollers confined between the other of said surfaces and said element, a first ring-like member connecting the inner ends of said rollers, a second ring-like member connecting the outer ends of said rollers, a plurality of recesses formed in the surface of said element adjacent said rollers, each of said recesses having a depth which is shallow at its ends and increases to a maximum at its center, means blocking each of said rollers from travel through substantially one-half of its recess and means operable at the will of an operator for shifting said blocking means in such a manner as to permit travel through the portion of the recess previously blocked and to block the second half of said recess.

JOHN FLODIN. 

